Blaming the Millennials? Really?

Image source: Dawn Hudson

By Kym Gordon Moore
(Opinions in this commentary is based strictly on the author’s viewpoint)

Let’s face it, times are very different than they were a decade ago in every aspect of the word. Everything is changing whether we want them to or not. Adaptability to such change is never easy peasy for anyone. I continue to read a number of interesting articles and posts where there is a lot of finger pointing directed towards the Millennials. All too often the collapse of many current processes and industries has been unfairly dumped on them which were already systematically set up for eventual failure decades ago.

As a Baby Boomer, what was important and valuable to me growing up has been modified to the current generation of consumers. Millennials absorb and digest differently from the way we did at their age. The same happened with us compared to the times of our parents’ rearing. Even in the midst of some extremely turbulent events, we tried to adapt accordingly.

Yet as I read many articles arguing and blaming the collapse of once thriving industries on the Millennials, I have to cringe a bit. First, let me touch on education. We want our children to do better and excel further than we have, but with the exorbitant student loans that our young people face upon graduation from college and are unable to find a job that will pay enough to live, as well as, pay back their loans, it is nearly impossible to survive. I believe student loans at this point should be forgiven, because such an expense, even as it is reflected negatively on their credit report, will definitely affect if and how they purchase a vehicle, a house or even start and be able to support a family.

Much blaming and finger pointing is directed towards individuals who are facing difficulty and hardships as a result of many failed systems that no longer work in this current climate. There is no innovation in such cryptic and archaic processes because if there was a concerted effort made, the blame would not be directed at one specific group. To solve such dilemmas so they can fit our current times and trends has become slow and painful, just to carve out time to sit down and discuss how to quickly change broken systems.

We have our platforms on suggestions for innovation, adapting to artificial intelligence, inbound marketing, deep learning, business intelligence and such. I think all too often, we are so endowed in policies, procedures, and politics so stringently, that we forget how to feel, how to love and what it is like to be human.

As a leader, we seek to find new solutions and common ground by merging the changing of consumers to industries of the past. The last thing we need is to send consumers sailing over the edge of a cliff with the mindset to dictate, divide and conquer based on systems of the past. Clearly, how is it possible to invite and engage these new generations of consumers who will eventually replace us, if we are unable to effectively offer practical products and services, and then communicate with them sufficiently?

Before casting blame, perhaps we need to understand what the problem is, why the situation is the way it is and then move forward to solutions that would be beneficial to all. Even die-hard veterans in the business have to look at the big picture with a new set of glasses. Any thoughts?